Here are my thoughts in case you haven't made a decision. I've had very mixed results with the Keurig B60 and B70. It's not unusual at all for them to quit working, especially with water pump issues. The flip side of this is that Keurig is great to work with. They have fantastic customer service.

As far as quality goes, I never got into k cup coffee, even after drinking several hundred cups of coffee. I think I tried every k-cup possible. To me, the coffee always seems thin and devoid of character. It's not bad, it just isn't very good.

You asked if there were any alternatives to Keurig. I'd suggest looking at the Bunn MyCafe pod brewer (or Grindmaster OPOD if you can get a hold of one) and go with pods. There are some really great ones by Fratello and The Coffee Artisan that I think make k cup coffee taste like Folgers. Even pods, however, aren't going to match what you'd get from a Technivorm and freshly ground coffee.

However, since your girlfriend asked for a Keurig, you may be wise to go with that. A lot of people like them, just not many coffee snobs like the ones on this forum .

I have had my "original" Keurig for 6 years now and it has yet to fail me. I don't know, seems like the new models aren't as sturdy.. they tried to make them quieter and they seem flimsier now. Still love it and would have to run out and buy another immediately if this one crapped out. Also love my French press and Clever coffee dripper.. great during those power outages!

If you're buying a K-cup coffee maker, the one to get is the Breville version. Breville makes quality equipment, and their K-cup machine will last for years. We have one that has been used daily for both tea and coffee for the past 4 years and it works as well today as when new.

As far as the quality of the coffee and tea that come out of it - it depends on the maker of the K-cup product itself. Some of the coffee is quite good, while others are just average. The same with tea. However, if you want a cup of tea or coffee in a hurry, this is the machine that can serve that need.

The machine has an insert to use ground coffee, however, the problem with using it is that the coffee extraction and flavor are very sensitive to the grind level. You have to grind the coffee to nearly espresso grind to get it to work properly. If you don't have a grinder capable of extremely find grind, the ground coffee insert is useless.

If you're looking for a K-cup coffee maker, the Breville is a quality machine - and that is reflected in the price.

I don't suggest getting a Keurig. The pods are expensive, create a ton o waste, and the machines are getting clogged when using certain types of coffee. Why not try getting her something unique? Like the AeroPress. I got one for Christmas and was shocked at how great my coffee tastes. I actually created a review on my web site about it i you want to take a look. Also as most people here love coffee maybe more than me, I'd love some creative criticism on my site using the Contact Me form. I want to adjust the review and provide even more links, even back to this site in time, maybe to specific threads on the Aeropress. It's amazing what this little contraption does, even with 4-month old coffee!Best Single Cup Coffee Maker - Keurig Alternative - Aeropress Review

I was thinking of getting a Keurig once...until I saw the number of used ones on Ebay. After reading too many bad reviews on them, I decided to stick with my Braun KF-12 as my "daily driver" and a Corning 4-cup dripolator (among 20-something other devices) when I'm in the mood to play.